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Disney Fans: You Can’t Have It Both Ways

This weekend is the #D23Expo, which gives fans a look at what is coming next for The Walt Disney Company whether it be films, video games, merchandise or new additions to its incredible lineup of theme parks and resorts.

Yesterday was the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts panel, which tends to generate the most excitement. Everyone anxiously awaited to see what would be announced for the parks worldwide, especially for Walt Disney World as the 50th anniversary is fast approaching.

We were spoiled, to be honest. Walt Disney World is getting several new attractions, including a version of the Ratatouille ride from Disneyland Paris, a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, an all-new attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse (the first EVER) and a version of the extremely popular Tron ride from Shanghai Disneyland. It was also announced that Toy Story Land will open next summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an immersive Star Wars Hotel is in the works and a new mode of transportation called the Disney Skyliner will debut as well.

Exciting, right? Well, not for some of you. And that’s why we need to talk.

I am tired of hearing people complain about Disney not adding enough new things to the parks and then hearing the same people complain when Disney announces new things coming to the parks.

You realize you can’t have it both ways, right?

I understand you may be upset because things are changing, but to go as far as to say you’ll boycott is a little extreme…don’t you think?

Remember when the end of Wishes was announced? Many of us were devastated, myself included. The show had a special place in my heart, but I decided I was going to give Happily Ever After a chance. I had faith that Disney wasn’t going to replace a show that was near and dear to so many people with something that didn’t compare.

And guess what? Happily Ever After is better than Wishes. Yes, I, the girl who is obsessed with Wishes, believes hands down that Happily Ever After is the perfect successor. Disney knocked it out of the park, as they usually tend to do. Happily Ever After is the show Magic Kingdom deserves.

And don’t even get me started on Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout because it’s amazing and, without a doubt, 10x better than Tower of Terror. So we’re going to move right along.

So many of you claim to be fans and then have no faith in the company, or the brand, whatsoever. You are skeptical of every little thing that they announce and, truthfully, it’s getting a little old.

I am willing to bet that many of your favorite attractions/shows have been updated or have taken the place of other beloved attractions/shows. And you know what? Sometimes Disney doesn’t get it right. Sometimes they replace something and it just isn’t as good. It happens. But to immediately go to a negative place and claim that whatever they have planned is horrible without experiencing it first is just ignorant.

I am going to remind you of a few things Walt once said because I think you need to hear them.

“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

Walt never wanted his parks to stop evolving. He knew that they would constantly be changing because creativity and curiosity are powerful. If we never added or changed anything, we would have the same tired attractions and entertainment that opened with the parks.

I understand the nostalgia component, but if we held onto everything for that reason we’d never see anything new- and you’d complain about that, too.

Simply put, we all need to learn how to accept change. These parks were never meant to stay the same for too long. If they were, why even have Imagineers? Why employ some of the most creative and inspired people in the world if we aren’t going to utilize their talents and visions?

We are experiencing some of the most impressive and exciting expansions and additions to date. It’s time to stop criticizing every single move the company you claim to love makes and start being a little more optimistic.